How to Achieve Your Travel Goal This Year

I hear a lot of people around me taking this resolution: ”This year, I will travel!” I know how hard it can be to stick to our new year’s resolution (Hello,”losing weight”, I’m looking at you)! I also know that everything is possible and that motivation tips can help.

I may not be good at not taking a third cookie, but when it comes to planning and being disciplined for a travel goal achievement, I rock the place! Let me help you with this resolution.

1. Stop saying you don’t have money

It’s one of the first reasons why people tell they don’t travel as much as they want. But here is the truth: you HAVE enough money, ALL of you. Yes, keeping a budget is a great tool, but you already know that and that’s not what I’m talking about here.

One big change I made when I made the commitment to travel more was to change my perception of money. I stopped saying ”I don’t have money”, and started saying ”I don’t have money for THIS or for THAT”. This way of perceiving money gives you more power over it. You are the one in charge. YOU decide. Not the money you have.

Even more important: You will stop feeling poor if you stop saying you don’t have money. Just this small change will make you realize all the resources you have access to. It’s just up to you what you do with them!

You might like: How to Get Money to Travel

2. Connect with your true travel desire

Ask yourself these three questions: What do I want to discover? What do I want to learn? How do I want to feel?

I call it the Art of Plan B. Let’s say you want to go to Greece. Well, it can be very expensive to go to Europe. Humm… What to do then? Answer the three questions: I want to discover ruins, I want to learn to sail, I want to feel relax looking at the sea. That’s great! Have you thought about visiting Mayan ruins, learning to sail catamaran and relaxing at the beach in Yucatan, Mexico? Because, you know, that’s cheaper.

Bam! You still have what you want.

3. Buy your flight as soon as you can

Even if you didn’t save the money yet for your other expenses, such as lodgings and activities, buy your flight. It’s a point of no return. Once your flight is booked, I guarantee you will find a way to make it work.

Honesty, I rarely have all the money I need for a specific trip when I buy my flight. Even more honestly, I rarely have the money to pay 100% of the flight when I buy it. Despite everything, I always have the money I need when comes the time to go. Why? Because the money I put on buying my flight is an additional commitment. I HAVE to make it work or else I’ll lose it all. So that’s what I do.

4. Meet locals before going

Go on travel forums, open an account on Couchsurfing, book a night on Airbnb. Knowing that somebody is waiting to meet you there is so exciting and comforting!

Not familiar with Airbnb? Take a look at my Beginner’s Guide to Airbnb

5. Look at a World map daily

Put it on your wall, as a wallpaper on you computer, wherever you’ll see it every day. It’ll act as a reminder of your commitment and as a motivation.

Looking for beautiful maps? Society6 have a lot of cushions, wall tapestries, frame art prints with gorgeous maps.

6. Join travel group

You’ll find motivated people with the same goal: to explore another part of the world this year. It’s also a very good place to ask experienced travellers for advice about a specific destination. I recommend Thorn Tree and Travellerspoint.

7. Practice micro movements

Micro Movements is a HUGE motivation booster! It’s a method created by SARK and the purpose is to create easy movements toward your goal.

If you think about travelling and write down ”Save 2000$. Read that 500 pages guide-book. Plan the 2 weeks itinerary”, it’s like… Ewwww… Even I don’t want to do that.

So if you’re a procrastinator, try to reach your goal doing micro movements.

Examples of micro movements:

• Buy a travel journal (That’s it! Don’t write in it!… yet)
• Open a flight booking site on your computer and enter the destination
• Take your backpack out of your closet
• Read one page of your guide-book

Everybody can do that right? So easy!

As SARK says it: ”We do and create the most when we’re delighted, inspired, moved, amused and just feeling good. Most people have been raised and conditioned to think that “hard work” pays off and that delight or inspiration are a possible lucky side effect. While it is true that working hard can produce good results, I have seen that it is also true that delighting yourself is more effective over the long-term, and provides a much better quality of life.”

Complete theory on micro movements can be found here! Read it! It’s a truth bomb!

Here’s a first micro movement you can do: Write down your dream destination in the comment below.

Happy travel everyone!

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